Former State Senator Frank Padavan Dead At 83

Former Republican state Senator Frank Padavan, who represented parts of Northeast Queens for 38 years from 1973 to 2010, died Tuesday at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He was 83 years old.

Before running for the senate in 1972, Padavan was a deputy commissioner at the New York City Department of Buildings. During his time in Albany, Padavan was known as a fierce advocate for education and an intellectual heavyweight in the chamber. In 2010, he was unseated by current state Senator Tony Avella.